StreetLevel: Ethiopian Grub Coming to 4th Ave.

Here’s one of the more interesting new 4th Avenue businesses we’ve come across in a while: The Nolita Ethiopian restaurant Ghenet is going to open a branch on 4th and Douglass in the coming weeks. Ghenet is known for its vegetarian friendly, accessible Ethiopian cooking, according to New York Mag. The coming restaurant is directly across the street from the newish (and popular) Australian-themed Sheep Station. Ghenet Brooklyn is probably going to open sometime in mid-March, according to one of its owners. GMAP

So you mean to tell me, I’m now going to be able to get off the train at Bergen, stop into Babeland, pick up a dildo and some condoms, come down and pick up some of the best Ethiopean food in the city, stop and have an Australian beer or 6 at Sheep Station, stop at the new video place on 5th and stumble back home all without ever leaving my neighborhood??!!

At the risk of attracting haters by the mere mention of “Park Slope”, any thoughts on Aunt Suzie’s on 5th Avenue? I think I saw it on one of those channel 25 shows like Eat Out New York or something. You know, the one with the totally hot Asian chick in the trench coat? Anyway, it looked good and I was drooling (over the host and the food). How is it?

FYI: I passed Red Hot on Saturday morning. They were clearing out like it was the last day on earth. I walked in and was yelled at, and explained that I lived in the neighborhood was a regular customer and wanted to know what happened.

So, can all you Slope gourmets please explain the allure of La Villa? I’ve been five times, and each time I was more disappointed than the previous time. Greasy, tacky Italo-American food reminiscent of the worst suburban joints. But it’s always packed! I don’t get it.

Al Di La and La Villa can not be compared as “italian food”, both are great IMHO but they are totally different genres of food.
Aunt Suzie and La Villa are in the same genre (and La Villa is better by a factor of 10) and Al-Di-La and Tempo are more comparable and here Al Di La is better by a similar margin.

ethiopiam food includes a lot of yoghurt-based dishes, specialties include she-goat and mule. braised mule in yoghurt and pickle passis is divine. Also try the fruitbat in mule milk, very good, if a bit bland and also the “sand oysters” which are actually mule testicles.

You’re giving alot of these sponge like pancakes which you use to scoop up the food which ranges from collard greens to goat, beef or chicken. The meat is cooked in a mixture of spices and has very strong and spicy flavors. Its got alot of oil in it. Its kinda weird.

I came on Brownstoner this morning (perhaps an unfortunate choice of words) expecting for sure that this discussion would have at some point deteriorated into a Park Slope vs. the rest of the world discussion and am pleasantly surprised to see kindly threads are still possible. Brownstoner, you may want to put this discussion in a frame. Thanks to all for the Italian restaurant tips.